Hitler’s Hometown Revokes His Honorary Citizenship, Whether He Had It Or Not

This Thursday, the town council of Braunau, Austria (Adolf Hitler’s birthplace) moved to rescind the late Nazi leader’s honorary citizenship in an uncontested vote.

When he was in power, several Austrian cities and towns granted Hitler honorary citizenship and rights of residence awards. Many of which have taken action to revoke such titles as a result of recent media attention and criticism.

As such, Braunau council members determined to annul any and all honors Hitler had received that they did not feel necessarily dissolved upon his death in 1945. Some however argue that the vote was in fact unnecessary as the title did end with his suicide.

The Braunau council told the Austria Press Agency, “Although no archival evidence could be found for the city of Braunau am Inn’s awarding Adolf Hitler honorary citizenship, the awarding of honorary citizenship to Adolf Hitler is symbolically and as a precaution revoked and repealed.”